Between the devil and the deep blue sea
by forbiddenloveofmine
Summary: When a stranger moves to Mystic Falls, the residents experience quite a few supernatural activities in the town. Will Stefan, ELena, Bonnie and Matt able to save the town from her? Above all, will Damon stay on his track and avoid falling for her?
1. Chapter 1 Another Day

_Dear Diary,_

_Guess what? Summer break is over. Can you imagine that? It seemed only yesterday when I started to feel the relaxation of a break from studies descending on me and now it's time to go to school again. After summer break, you don't really feel like going back there. I had nothing to worry about during these past few weeks. No homework, no assignments, no projects and above all, no pop quizzes. Nothing can ruin a day more than a pop quiz!_

_This summer break was the best break ever. I was with the love of my life, Stefan, most of the time. It was the most blissful time of my life. Never had I been so happy before._

_After, Mom and Dad left me, I changed for the worse. I wasn't the Elena Gilbert that I used to be, but Stefan brought the sunshine back to me. He taught me to live my life to the full. Yes of course, Bonnie was there too and Caroline, she was too concerned with boys though. And Bonnie…was busy with figuring out her Powers. As she is not a trained witch, sometimes her Powers go beyond her control. Just a few days back, she set a tree on fire! Thank God, no one was in the park at that time. Her Grams is helping her too. Hopefully, things will be better with her soon._

_And of course, who could forget the charming Damon? He doesn't seem to get the clue. I belong with Stefan, not him. But he just never gives up, but for some reason I let him keep trying. _

Elena stopped writing and inhaled the fresh morning air. It smelled so pure, so virgin that her entire being rejoiced in the divine feeling. The air brought the scents of the nature surrounding her. The smell of the season changing, autumn it was nothing that Elena could put down on paper. She closed her eyes and visualized the maple leaves landing on the ground, gently swirling all the way down. The rich colour of ochre, burnt and cooked over on slow fire by the sun gave out a beautiful hue. The trees, lining up the... Elena's thoughts were rudely interrupted as someone pushed her off the bed. Before she could realize this, she was already on the ground. Her head felt dizzy from the sudden attack and her thoughts were bouncing around in her head. Thankfully, the thick, lush carpet saved her back. As she got to her feet to check if her legs were working, her eyes scanned the entire room. And there was her attacker, standing on the other side of the bed, smirking, which soon turned into a twinkling laughter.

"Bonnie!" Elena screamed, "What's wrong with you? You pushed me off the bed?" Elena was amusingly annoyed with her best friend. She glared at the shaking form of Bonnie whose fits of laughter still continued. Finally, seeing Elena so angry, she somehow controlled herself.

"I couldn't resist the urge," another fit of giggles, "You-you...were... so lost in some d-day dr-dream, that I had to push you and your fa-face...after you fell off," Bonnie burst out in a new fit of giggles all over again.

"Well, I could have broken by back or hit my head, but apparently that never occurred to you while you shoved me off the bed so hard," Elena was clearly not amused at all. She crossed her arms across her chest and looked away from Bonnie.

"Hey, I am sorry. I didn't mean to push you so hard but you know these days my Powers are acting up all weird," the apologetic look on Bonnie's innocent face and her large puppy dog eyes could have melted even a boulder. Elena couldn't help but smile. Bonnie had this amazing quality to wrench out forgiveness from even the most cold-hearted person on this earth. _She could even get away with a murder_, Elena thought.

"Ok, I forgive you," but Elena still pretended to appear upset, "But you have to make up for this aching butt of mine, "Elena demanded while rubbing her back which was now throbbing due to the impact of the fall, "Tonight, you'll treat me, Stefan and Caroline at the Mystic Grill."

Bonnie almost jumped with relief, "Done!" She couldn't have lived a day in peace if she knew that her best friend was offended with her.

Stefan read the name on the screen of his phone and smiled.

"Yes, sweetheart."

"Hey, I'm sorry but we have to change our plans for tonight. Bonnie is treating us all to dinner at the Grill at 8."Elena paused for Stefan to speak.

"As long as you are with me, I don't mind going to hell, even," Elena could hear him grinning.

"Ok, so be here to pick me up at 7:45, is that ok?"

"Absolutely, ma lady," with that the phone call ended.

The Mystic Grill was seemingly having a slow business today. The usually packed restaurant was strangely vacant of its regular crowd. Bonnie, Elena, Caroline took a seat at the end of a row while Stefan walked up to the bar where a visibly bored Matt was arranging and re-arranging the bottles of nameless liquors.

"Hey Stefan, didn't see you coming in," Matt spoke while he surveyed the room and found the person he had been looking for. Elena waved back at him while Bonnie simply smiled. Caroline was blushing which was something you didn't get to see every day.

"Yeah, Bonnie is treating us tonight."

"Yeah? What for? Guess, Elena must have tricked her into doing this," Stefan chuckled at Matt since he was so right

"Ok, back to business. What can I get for everyone?" Matt took out a small writing pad and a pencil.

"Four cokes and four club sandwiches will do, thanks."

"Alright,''

Stefan walked over to their table as Caroline rose up to talk to Matt in private.

"I bet they have something going on between them," Bonnie's eyes shone as a mischievous idea crept in her mind. The very thought of what Matt and Caroline might be doing behind their backs interested her.

Elena nodded in agreement. "Well, looks like that to me. Why wouldn't she tell us? We've never kept anything from each other. So why this?" Elena was frowning as she started to think of reasons why Caroline would be acting so strangely. She would have to get it out of Caroline herself.

"Maybe it's because you dated Matt before and she thinks that you might not like her going out with your ex." As soon as these words left Bonnie's mouth, she froze. Suddenly the two girls were aware of Stefan sitting at the same table.

Both Elena and Bonnie exchanged uncomfortable glances and somehow Bonnie couldn't look up to meet Stefan's eyes. Stefan, noticing that the girls had gone all quiet, laid his hand on Elena's.

"It's alright, sweetheart. I know you have a past and so does everyone. It's nothing to be ashamed of. And I don't mind you talking about it with your friends," Stefan reassured her by gently pressing her hand and Elena beamed at him. She knew Stefan all too well. He would never have an ounce of doubt in her ever, but Elena realized that his words were directed more towards Bonnie, who seemed to have drowned herself in self pity.

"Thank you," Bonnie said, sneaking a look of Stefan's face and was immensely relieved to see Matt approaching their table with their order.

_Why do I need to blabber so much? I always end up with my foot in the mouth. _Bonnie was mentally reprimanding herself while Elena and Stefan were talking about some school projects, with Elena obviously feeling awkward. _Elena and school projects... not a good combination_, Bonnie giggled much to her own amusement.

"Here's your food," Matt placed the plates in front of them.

"Where's Caroline?" Elena, sensing Matt's presence, felt the urge to talk about something neutral.

"She is in the bathroom, but she ought have come out by now," Matt looked perplexed. "I'll go and see what's keeping her," Bonnie offered and headed towards the right of the restaurant where they had seen Caroline go off to.

Then there was a blood curling scream.

Elena bolted for the bathroom with Matt and Stefan, at her heels.

What they saw inside, made Elena's blood freeze. Caroline was lying on the floor and Bonnie was crouched away under one of the sinks, sobbing hysterically. There was no sign of any physical struggle nor any visible wounds on Caroline.

Stefan bent over the unconscious girl and took her wrist.

"I think she has fainted. Nothing to be worried about," He gently picked her up and placed her on one of the tables in the dining area. Matt rushed to his side with a glass of water and sprinkled some drops on her face.

"She was ok when she left for the bathroom. What happened..." Matt's words ended in a mumble as he realized that no one was interested in the possible things that might have happened in the bathroom. Instead, they were trying to bring Caroline back to her senses, as of now.

A few people, who were at the restaurant, gathered around them. They, too had heard Bonnie's scream. Bonnie! Elena panicked. In all this mayhem, they had forgotten her. She darted back to see Bonnie still in the same condition. She was hugging herself tightly and the tears wouldn't stop flowing down her olive cheeks.

"Bonnie? Bonnie! Look at me! It's me, it's Elena," Bonnie seemed to be stunned. Elena was scared to see her like this. Bonnie was a girl who couldn't be shaken so easily. She had always been strong and the last person to be so shaken by anything at all. And yet, here when there was nothing terrible to be found, Bonnie had totally lost her herself and went into such state of despair. She must have witnessed something really terrifying. Elena's musings were brought to a halt as she heard a sound behind her. She turned around in a flash to see a girl, almost of her age, standing near the door.

"I..I.. was thinking that you might need some help here," The girl was constantly fidgeting with her hands as if this offer to help was something out of the way for her usual demeanour. The girl waited for Elena's approval as she was being discreetly studied her without trying to look suspicious.

"I guess, I could use some extra hands," The words promptly stopped her inadvertent, but annoying. behavior as she took quick steps towards Elena.

Both of them, somehow managed to lift up the heap that was usually Bonnie and carried her outside. "I called 911," someone shouted over the cacophony of different voices.

After making sure that Bonnie had calmed down a bit, Elena noticed that the girl wasn't surprised at the turn of events. Instead, she appeared to be nervous and stole glances at the two girls who were still recuperating from the sudden shock. She had guilt written on her face

"Hi, I am Elena... Elena Gilbert," Elena extended her hand at the stranger.

"Hi, I am Adrianna Weedman," the girl reluctantly took her hand in hers and immediately withdrew from it. Elena let this strange behaviour pass.

"I haven't seen you around here before. You must be new in town," she tried to carry on with the conversation when she realized that Adrianna wouldn't speak a word unless she was spoken to.

"Yes... I'm new here." That was all she said. Then, abruptly as if she remembered something, Adrianna excused herself and left the restaurant. Elena kept on staring at this mysterious girl's retreating form with narrowed eyes and endless questions popping in her mind like popcorns every second.

The first week after a break was the hardest and without Bonnie at her side, it was cruel. _You couldn't talk about everything with your boyfriend, Come on! _After what Bonnie had gone through at the Mystic Grill, she was advised a complete bed rest for at least a week. Elena had gone to visit her last night but she didn't dare to inquire anything about the incident. Bonnie looked better but was still recuperating and Elena understood that she would talk when she was ready. _You just have to be a little more patient, _Elena told herself. She did not want to already traumatize her friend any further and stall her speedy recovery. It was Friday and Bonnie would be back to school on Monday. Just a weekend in between the two inseparable friends' re-union.

But what most baffled everyone was that Caroline, the one who had gone through the real ordeal, seemed just fine. The way she was sprawled on the floor of the washroom, with all her senses completely useless, clearly pointed that she was the actual victim back there. Even more shocking was the fact that she didn't remember anything from the episode. _Maybe it was for the best_, the voice in Elena's mind wasn't very convincing though. If there was any supernatural activity involved, then Caroline better be ignorant about it. She couldn't risk the sanity of another friend over something that was beyond their control and live a life marked with fear.

Her attention was diverted by a distant fluttering. From her peripheral vision, Elena could see a bird, crow, looming over the trees just outside her classroom.

_Damon_! She muttered under her breath as realization dawned upon her. How could she have missed him? Maybe Damon had a part in whatever happened, she knew Damon was capable of freezing the mind of even the toughest soul on this planet with fear. Maybe he erased Caroline's memory.

Anger burned her insides as she thought over all the possibilities he could have done to scar Bonnie's mind up to this extent._ Where was Stefan when she needed him the most? _He should have been here, sitting right beside her, helping to calm her down.

_I need to confront him after school_, Elena was determined. She wouldn't let him hurt her friends and get away with it, without even so much as a scratch. And there was even more things he needed to figure out with him.

Adrianna knocked on the door for the fifth time in a row. Still no response. She flipped open the small bit of paper, torn at places due to folding and re-folding it over countless times. Wrinkles appeared on her forehead, showing that she was thoroughly confused. She was at the right place. She remained there thinking what to do next. In her hurry to meet them, she didn't look around and directly made a dash for the door. And now when she saw, there was not another house in sight from where she stood. The place appeared to be completely deserted. Not a single soul to be seen. The only comfort was in hearing the chirping of the invisible birds. The country house itself looked quite ancient, as if breathing its last. It was in shambles and would crumple if she so much as lay a finger on it. The driveway was covered with moss like no one walked on it for ages and the hedges were overgrown to form almost a thicket. Her chest fell as she took more and more of the surroundings and she contemplated the most unpleasant assumption. They did not live here anymore. The last flicker of hope was brutally snuffed out right before her eyes. Dusk was approaching fast signaled by the sun casting tall shadows of trees lining the road. She took the driver seat and slammed the door hard behind her. She better hurry back to Mystic Falls.

Matt was sitting on the couch while Caroline surfed through the channels. Not able to decide what to watch, she switched off the TV and flopped back into Matt's waiting arms. His arms encircled her petite frame and his hands started roaming all over her.

"Finally, I get some attention." Caroline put her arms around Matt and pulled him closer. A mischievous smile crept on her face.

"So, while I was watching TV, you were actually dying to put your dirty hands on me." A moan escaped her lips. She found it impossible to speak any further as Matt touched her sensitive areas sending shivers down her back. Goosebumps rose on her arms when she abruptly stopped wriggling under Matt and with an incredible thrust, pushed him off her. Her eyes were blank just like Bonnie's when she went into trances. She was staring at some unseen force. Matt could feel it because almost at that instant a chill fell all over the place. When he tried to see what Caroline was looking at, his eyes couldn't to register anything.

In the background, Caroline sounded like a child. "Please help her. She is in trouble. She needs you... all of you." Caroline's voice broke into sobs at the last words. Matt was terrified and befuddled at the same time. He did not know what to do. Mystic Falls had been very supernaturally active since the past few months. And the intensity of such activities only increased with each passing day. Bonnie would have known the exact thing to do in these situations. Then as it had come, the thing left the room taking away the chill with it. Matt, now regaining his composure, rushed over to Caroline. She was in deep sleep. He picked up his cell phone and immediately dialed Elena's number.

Bonnie almost reached to grab her car keys when she heard a loud honking. She glanced at her watch and shook her head in disbelief. She and Elena had the first period together and Elena had insisted that she drive Bonnie to school that day. And it was already past eight fifteen now.

She walked out on the porch to see Elena coming out of her car and her hands already thrown up in surrender. Bonnie raised an eyebrow at her as she scurried down to reach for the passenger door.

"It's already..."

"Yes, I know, I know, I'm late. I'm sorry" Elena quickly stopped Bonnie from complaining any further. "Today is your first day at school after your break and you don't want to be late and blah, blah, blah."

Bonnie sighed in defeat and seeing her like this, Elena let out a huge smile. Bonnie was back to her old self. Thank God, nothing drastic had happened to her best friend.

Elena parked her car but she knew that they wouldn't be allowed inside the classroom. So, the girls decided to catch up a little till their second class began. They took their seats on a park bench as Elena first began talking. "How are you really feeling, Bonnie?"

"Not as bad as I had expected," Bonnie grinned. "I don't know what got me out there but it definitely wasn't anything pleasant." Bonnie put her arms on the back of the bench and tilted her head so she could look at the sky. She breathed in the fresh morning air.

"I know. You are not the one to be shaken by anything trivial. It had to be something really scary," Elena empathized with her. She could almost feel Bonnie's struggle as she tried to come up with words to describe what she went through.

"You know, Elena, as a witch, I have seen and felt many Powers, some strong, some weak... some familiar, some unfamiliar," She took a brief pause before continuing. "But I have never felt anything so vile before. When I went in, Caroline was already lying on the floor. And there was... there was this.. strange feeling in the room. I felt suffocated and constricted. That thing... made me feel depressed and empty. I felt no desire to live and wanted to die so that I could escape all the hopelessness of the world. Just at that moment, another feeling came over me. It was weak but enough to help me get out of that maze which the thing had created. That's when I screamed." Bonnie took a deep breath as she hesitantly gazed towards Elena. Elena placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

Elena herself was troubled. Last night, she had to dash over to Matt's place due to an emergency. From what she heard, she was confused. Who was this she? Why did she need their...

"Sorry for eavesdropping," the girls almost jumped from their seats as the intruder came out of his hiding. "As captivating it was, I still have some doubts and couldn't resist any longer from joining your conversation." Damon wiggled his eyebrows as he squeezed himself between the two girls who looked disgusted over his intrusion.

"How dare you?" It was Bonnie. One could actually see clouds of smoke bursting out of her ears. She never liked Damon and after what he did to Caroline and a few townsfolk, her hatred from him grew to almost fanaticism.

"Bonnie, sweet Bonnie, " Damon cooed in her ear, "You shouldn't stress yourself too much. You have just come out from a maze of death," He feigned a shocked expression mocking her words spoken earlier. "You did us proud. Bonnie, the witch who defeated death. How does that sound?" Damon appeared quite smug at his performance.

Bonnie wanted to kick that smugness off his face. She could set him on fire or incapacitate him with the ear piercing noise, but she wasn't fully healed yet and did not want to exert her Powers. He had overheard their private conversation and even had the balls to make fun of her. _I wish I could just kick him where it hurts_. Bonnie was really tempted to do it.

"Listen Damon, we really don't need your shit. We have enough on our plates as it is." How Elena managed to be so patient with Damon, Bonnie would never know.

"I know and don't think I am here for any kind of amusement. You girls hold no interest for me." Damon's cheerfulness suddenly vanished and was replaced with a steely edge in his voice. His words were harsh and it sent a searing pain through Elena. "I'm here because Stefan told me to talk to you about Caroline." His arms were folded across his chest as he gazed anywhere but at them.

Elena and Bonnie were puzzled. "Why did Stefan send you to us? And did Matt tell you about Caroline?"

"Elena sweetie, this is a small pace and news here, travels faster than wild fire," Damon words were dripping sarcasm. "And I would be the last person on the earth with whom anyone would want to share their problems with. I am not a very good listener, you know. I am more of a doer." The implication of the last words ran deep through the girls as they openly gaped at him with a distaste. Elena stood up, and motioned for Bonnie to stay on the bench as she and Damon walked a few feet away. He was never bothered with how people saw him. His smile was a sure shot evidence of this devil-may-care attitude, and he used that to his advantage, everyone loves a bad boy.

"Then, why did you care to listen to what Stefan told you to do? As much as I know you, you are not the one to take commands from others, least from Stefan." Elena folded her arms across her chest and looked at him squarely. It was almost a challenge to stare into Damon's midnight dark eyes and not get lost in their depths. Elena's heartbeat quickened but she managed to keep her calm on the surface. As if taken by surprise, Damon passed a moment of confusion as he unwittingly stared into those brown eyes. He lost his train of thought for a second before regaining his senses back. Ashamed of his weakness, he tried to cover it up with anger. He couldn't let Elena see how she made him feel.

"That's none of your business, Elena," he spoke through gritted teeth as he looked down at her with intimidation. His dark eyes shone with fury which made her flinch as she desperately tried to back away from any impending accident. Just at that moment, Bonnie walked up to them with a knowing look on her face.

"So, is your mission here is to scare us off?" Now it was Bonnie's turn. Damon sighed exasperatedly.

"You know, I better leave rather than bicker with you two," Damon's lips formed a straight thin line. " And ladies, don't come running to me later. I warned you. And now I'm gone." with that Damon walked away to his Ferrari as the girls stared at his retreating form, baffled at his words.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2 Stranger amongst us

**Stranger amongst us**

Caroline was reclining on the couch when Elena and Bonnie walked into the room. Bonnie rushed over to her side and hugged her tight.

"…Can't breathe!" Bonnie released her death grip and the three girls burst into laughter.

"How are you doing? I am _so_ sorry I couldn't come see you last night." Bonnie looked close to tears. "I have to know about what happened this morning."

"Hey, calm down... I'm alright," Caroline smiled at her while sparing a glance at Elena in between. "I just fainted, that's all. No big deal." Caroline chirped animatedly. Bonnie and Elena stared at each other sharing an all knowing look which Caroline caught.

"What's wrong? You both... looked kind of puzzled," Caroline's voice interrupted the girls' silent conversation, Bonnie quickly turned back to face her.

"No.. nothing.. it's nothing," Elena spoke, stuttering, while trying to come up with a believable story. "It's just that we hadn't even gotten over what happened at The Grill, and something like it happens again." _Yeah, pretty much convincing_.

"At least, nothing serious happened to me. Thank god, I was at Matt's. If he wouldn't have..." Caroline kept on rambling while Elena discreetly slipped out of the room to call Matt.

"Hey, you not in school? I've been looking for you and Bonnie, the entire morning. Everything alright?" Matt was sounded worried.

"Hey, yeah, Bonnie and I skipped school today. We're at Caroline's now." Elena paused, waiting for Matt's reaction. Like she expected, Matt panicked.

"Did you tell her anything that she's not supposed to know?" Matt's voice was laced with urgency. His desperation was almost pouring through the phone.

Before he could make up his mind to jump into his car and drive up to Caroline's, Elena spoke up," No, no... we just let her talk... But I thought she knew everything... Why didn't you tell her?"

Matt stayed quiet which made Elena even more mad. Caroline had every right to know what happened to her and hiding facts from her was not a good idea.

"Matt? You there?"

" Yeah.. yeah.. Look, I'm sorry I didn't explain it to her. But I am scared," Another pause, "I don't know what's happening with her. I just want her to be ok," Elena felt sorry for him. He really liked Caroline and whatever was happening around them had shaken Matt a lot. She understood that he wanted to protect Caroline but lying wasn't the way to do it.

"I understand that. But we have to talk about it. Can you come over to Stefan's at 5?" Elena waited for an answer. Instead, Matt fired back another question at her.

"Will Damon be there?" Elena couldn't help but smile.

Tyler Lockwood was pissed. It was pure insult. He stood shaking, literally, all the time glaring at Jeremy. This pesky little kid had just pushed him and that too, in front of the entire crowd of Mystic Grill. _How dare he_? _Didn't he know that this was Tyler's territory? Was he not aware of the consequences? He could kill this kid with just a flick of his wrist. Or, he could just jump on him and tear out chunks of flesh out of his fragile human body. Mmm... the warm blood dripping down his throat would be such a kick. The meat would taste so good, full of energy and vigour... It has been days since he had eaten something so filling as a human. He would have to find a way to corner him outside The Grill. Only if he could... _Tyler's thoughts were incoherent. The hunger and anger mixed together did not help to clear his head from doing anything reckless amidst a group of people who knew him and his family since years. If Jeremy went missing after tonight, then he was bound to be the prime suspect. And then there would be investigations and there were chances that his family's centuries old secret would come to light. But he didn't care. After all, Jeremy had brought this on himself, now he would have to pay.

Tyler never liked Jeremy. All of this started when Tyler was seeing Vicki and Jeremy had tried every trick up his sleeve to tear them apart. He had been successful for a while but then Vicki suddenly disappeared and everyone in Mystic Falls knew what happened a few months later. At that time, Tyler was not aware of himself. He did not know of the Power that he had within himself all along. It was only unreasonable rage and black outs back then. But now, he knew, thanks to Uncle Mason. He told Tyler what he truly was, a werewolf. His eyes shone like fluorescence lights as he basked in the radiance of his strength which was coursing through his entire being. Dark blue veins stood out on his face, neck and forearms thinking of the Power he possessed. He was very close to transforming when he felt a sudden jerk, which nearly threw him off balance. His eyes suddenly looked up to focus on the person grabbing his upper arms and shaking him. Abruptly, he was pulled out of his dark thoughts. It was Uncle Mason who was trying to break his trance and bring him back to reality. As he gained his focus and looked around, he noticed that Jeremy had backed away and was gaping at him with curiosity. Instantly, his cockiness was suppressed with acknowledgement of the fact that, Jeremy might have observed something different about him.

"Tyler! Tyler! Can you hear me?" He couldn't tell whether Uncle Mason was enraged or concerned as he tried to focus on his words. It sounded very faint and distant as if his uncle's voice was coming through a tunnel.

Tyler replied after a few minutes," Yeah... yeah.. I'm ok," deep lines were etched on his forehead as he struggled to make sense of what passed through him just moments ago.

He looked disoriented and felt like a sledgehammer was banging on his skull. Instinctively, his hands flew up to press his temples while Mason helped him to sit down.

He bent over to Tyler's hunched form and whispered,"You could have ruined everything today, kid. Now, I'm going to take you home and we're going to have a little talk."

With one last look at Jeremy, Tyler left The Grill with his uncle in silence. Someone came up to Jeremy and said something about the incident. He nodded only in vague acknowledgement as his mind tried to figure out what was going on with Tyler's oddly violent behavior tonight. His thoughts were cut short by the shrill ring of his phone. Sighing, he pressed the talk button ready for the bullets.

"Hello?"

The voice on the phone was hysterics. "Jeremy, where are you? Don't you have to study? Get home right now!" Jeremy ducked his head and headed for the door. Jenna really went over the board sometimes.

The study of the old Salvatore Boarding House had most of Elena's friends hanging around it. Matt and Bonnie were reclining on the couch whereas Elena took her place next to Stefan. Damon, with a glass of scotch in his hand, was walking around the room at a leisurely pace. A peek through the hall's French windows would make anyone think that there was a party going on inside. The atmosphere inside was tensed. Everyone had frowns on their faces, except Damon. He was quietly enjoying his drink, chuckling at his thoughts from time to time. At last, Stefan spoke up.

"Can you please stop doing that?"

"Doing what?" Damon turned around to look at Stefan, innocence written clearly on his face.

"Stop laughing and take a seat. We have a situation to handle." Stefan directed.

"Oh come on! Do you really expect me to act all worried and jittery like these immature kids here? I can't, rather, won't break my head on some stupid-girl-seeking-attention drama Nope! not me, brother," Damon strolled to another corner before Stefan had any chance although he couldn't avoid a few angry glares. Everyone was fussing over Caroline like she was a one-year old and that too, for no reason at all.

"Damon, this is not stupid and Caroline is not trying to gain attention. You know about the Mystic Grill accident. Bonnie is a witness to that, don't forget that she was quite shaken up after that too. And yesterday at Matt's..." Stefan was rudely interrupted.

"Please help her..oh please help her.. She needs all of you to help..." Damon mocking Caroline did not earn him any applause but Matt, all of a sudden, rose up stalking towards the door.

"Matt, please don't leave," Elena was desperate and begged him on behalf of Damon, a thing he wouldn't do even if his life depended on it.

"You know Elena, coming here was a big mistake. Maybe I should have handled it myself," it was dry and emotionless. Bonnie quickly reached out to Matt.

"Matt, you know she is our best friend. Just for one disturbing element," she threw a scornful glance towards Damon and tugged Matt all the way into the sitting area, "You should not feel dejected. Just ignore him and concentrate on the problem." Matt calmed down a bit when he saw their faces.

"I am sorry on behalf of Damon..."Stefan apologized.

"It's ok, man. Not your fault." Matt half smiled at him.

"Ok, so do have you had any guesses as to who this 'she'might be?" Stefan renewed the conversation and branded the word 'she' with actually giving it air quotes.

Damon rolled his eyes and refilled his drink. According to him, every 'she' on this planet needed help. He laughed at his one joke but kept it silent this time.

"That's is the problem, Stefan. Whoever this she is, she is not an ordinary human," Everyone even Damon, cocked their heads in Matt's direction waiting for what came next.

"And why did you think that might be?" Stefan's question was the same on everyone's minds.

"Well, I say that from all the supernatural incidents that occurred in The Grill. I mean it's still a hunch... but don't you see that? Caroline being possessed and she was the medium chosen to pass that particular message. I mean... why would some supernatural element send across such messages from the other realm for someone ordinary?" Matt paused and looked around to weigh his friends' reaction. Bonnie was in deep thought, Elena seemed to be clueless and Stefan mirrored Bonnie's reaction. There was silence all around. The air was heavy with unspoken words, ideas and contradictions.

"That's easy," everyone turned to look at Damon who was speaking from his seat in the corner.

"Our dear Bonnie could easily do a summoning spell and contact the spirit. Everyone calm down now." Damon made his speech while gulping down his last drink and walked out of the boarding house as lazily as a cat. But he left behind a tiny sparkle of hope which almost bewildered everyone.

"Oh my god! why did not I think of it before?" Bonnie gasped and hit her head with a light smack.

Elena beamed and looked at Stefan who appeared to be satisfied with Damon's careless but useful suggestion. Matt almost jumped on Bonnie and encased her in a bear hug.

"Awesome! We'll call the spirit to come through Caroline again and speak to us," Bonnie was sure of what she was doing. "And don't worry Matt, Caroline will be safe," her reassuring smile somewhat relaxed Matt as they called it a night and left for their respective homes.

Damon was stalking towards his Ferrari when he saw a beam of car headlights flash round the corner. There was no other living being living within the ratio of a mile. Who and why would someone come around this bend at such an unearthly hour? Intrigued, he waited for the car to approach. It came to a halt just a few yards away from him. Someone he didn't recognize was climbing out of it. Swiftly, Damon hid himself in the shadows cloaking the exterior of the boarding house as he spied on the new arrival. A dark haired girl, stood by the car, reluctant to take her next step. The darkness, did not in the least, obstruct his view from his hide-out, thanks to his vampiric night vision. He crouched behind a bush as the girl quickly glanced his way. But obviously, she was human because she couldn't see him. Without giving much thought to his action, Damon stepped out of the shadows. The girl, evidently flabbergasted, stumbled a few steps back and nearly missed landing on the ground. Damon stood over her, towering her petite frame, as he regarded her with a wary look. She had long hair reaching below her waist, as the night breeze teased and sent strands of hair across her face. Her eyes reflected his own pair, dark, pitch black. One could get lost in them and never come out. Her skin glistened as the light from the boarding house threw dim light on the two of them. Her face was a kaleidoscope of expressions: aggravation, perplexity, and dread written on it. He could feel her awkwardness as she avoided looking into his eyes. She absently tucked the dark curls behind her ear thinking of ways to initiate a conversation.

"Is... is this the Salvatore Boarding House?" the uncertainty in her voice confirmed his doubt. She definitely did not belong here. Or else, Damon would have seen her around. He crossed his arms across his chest as he tilted his head to one side.

"You're new here." It was not a question, she realized. This man was slowing encircling her all while assessing her every movement. "What are you doing here at this hour? Aren't you afraid of the dark?" She cringed as she felt his leaning form too close for her comfort, just an inch away from her ear.

"You did.. did not ans..answer me," Somehow she managed to get back her voice although it sounded terribly feeble. She shuffled on her feet, without appearing to be to conspicuous, she moved away a little further away from him. However, he did not miss it and a chuckle was his response.

"Well, yes. This is the Salvatore Boarding House. Now, can you tell me your name and what you're looking for?" Damon was smirking now clearly amused by her silly antics. Humans were so foolish. This girl had walked right into her own demise and yet, she was totally unaware of it.

"Actually I am looking for the person who's in charge of this place." Her face lit up. In fact, she even braved to offer him a hand, "I'm Adrianna Weedman." A hopeful smile had taken its place on those beautiful somewhat delicate features.

Damon carefully slipped his hand into hers and took it in a firm grip. He never let go of his inspective gaze all the while admiring the beautiful, somewhat naive girl standing in front of a vampire shaking hands with him.

He narrowed his eyes when he failed to fathom why a girl, so human, would risk her life, although she did not know it, and visit the Salvatore house in the dark. Things as such shouldn't be done even during the witness of daylight.

"And may I know what, in Salvatore house, holds your interest, that you couldn't wait till the morning?" He gave her an amused grin although his mind was in a turmoil, trying to figure out the intentions of this frail creature. He was known for masking his inner workings well so that the other person never got the slightest inkling of his thoughts or actions.

"I wanted to look through the house. I have heard that this place has the best library in the town," She offered him a tentative smile whereas Damon continued to eye her skeptically and saw her smile slowly wane away from her lips.

"Madam, this is not a museum or a public library. You know you just can't walk onto my property and demand to have a tour of it." The harsh words suddenly washed over her. She couldn't imagine anyone being so rude with a person who only made a humble request. The frown that had formed as the words starting to make sense to her made it's way on her forehead with deep formed lines as she thought of lashing back with a few words of her own.

"I didn't know that the Salvatore house had an owner," her quiet, indirect apology was not what Damon had expected. He loved drama and loved people who played along with him by his rules. But, this girl was rather a bore. Quiet, frightened and submissive. Bonnie would have played this scene so well.

Nonetheless, he continued, "Well, now you know," his tone changing from being rude to sarcastic as he circled her.

"So, will you please get back into your car, and drive home? I hold a reputation in this place and I definitely will not let anyone tarnish with accusation of sexual harassment on innocent, foolish girls." Damon's eyes penetrated her own with a cold, icy stare. At first, her jaw fell and almost immediately, it was replaced with a disgusted glance at his direction. Now, he knew that look very well. He was used to it.

She turned and reached over to the driver side and with a last look at him, did he see sadness, or perhaps longing, in her eyes, she drove away, leaving Damon more perplexed than ever.


End file.
